Verrett Looking To Continue Past Success

Binghamton Mets pitcher Logan Verrett is off to a good start this season and hopes to carry his success from last year over into this season. Finishing up with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 103.1 innings last year in single-A, Verrett hopes to continue that success this season in Double-A Binghamton.

He has looked good in his first three games in 2013, starting off the season with and 2-0 record and 2.75 ERA. Verrett commented that one of his goals for this season will be to pick up right where he left off last season.

"Last year was a really good season for me and I just want to keep the ball rolling," he said. "I finished on a big note last year and I want to pick up right where I left off."

To try to keep that success going, Verrett worked on getting stronger in the offseason.

"It went really well. [I] just tried to get stronger and gain a little weight so I could go into Spring Training a little stronger. I feel like I was in better shape than last year."

Verrett feels confident about his first three starts this season, and gives the defense behind him credit for making his job less difficult.

"I feel like I'm throwing the ball well right now," he opined. "I think our whole team is throwing the ball well. Like I always say, it makes it easier when the defense behind us is as solid as they are."

The pitching coach for the Binghamton Mets, Glenn Abbott, was encouraged from what he saw from Verrett in Spring Training and in his starts this season.

"I was very pleased, he did a very good job. He has been very efficient with his pitches," Abbott said.

During Spring Training, Abbott explained how he worked with Verrett to keep him on line when pitching in order to help him improve the consistency of his pitches.

One of the most important things for Verrett to work on in spring training as Abbott explained was "trying to keep his line from the rubber to home plate, stay on a more consistent line. Sometimes he wants to come off line."

Abbott went on to say that would like to see the direction of Verrett's pitches improve, which will also be key in Verrett having another good season.

"His direction, that's what I would like to see, so he can stay behind his pitches and throw the ball down and away and glove side much better," Abbott added.

Keeping Verrett on line and improving the direction of his pitches will help translate his past success into future success. Abbott attributes this success to Verrett knowing both his pitches and what kind of pitcher he is.

"He has pretty good feel for his pitches, he is a sinker slider type guy who has all four pitches." Abbott said. "He does a good job of pitching, he stays in control of himself and knows himself pretty well."

Manager Pedro Lopez added that Verrett's fastball command will be the key to his continuing success this season.

"He is able to throw strikes with his fastball using both sides of the plate, and I think that is what makes him successful," Lopez said.

"The use of the change up will be [the] number one thing that will put him in the big leagues, he needs to make sure he throws the changeup too."

Like Abbott, Lopez is also happy from what he has seen from Verrett so far.

"I think so far he's done a good job, hopefully he stays healthy."

Lopez added that the most important thing for Verrett this season is to stay healthy. If he does so, Lopez believes it will give the team a chance to do well.

"The number one thing is to stay healthy and make sure he gets his chance to go out there every five days. If he does that everything is going to be fine and he will give us quality innings and a chance to win."

For the rest of the 2013 season, Verrett just hopes to go as far in the game as possible.

"I just want to keep going deep into games, try to get into the seventh inning every time I go out there to minimize the bullpen, and save them for the end of the game to try to keep us healthy as can be," Verrett concluded.